Definition for WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.11
2.4.11 Character Key Shortcuts: If a keyboard shortcut is implemented in content using only letter (including upper- and lower-case letters), punctuation, number, or symbol characters, then at least one of the following is true:
- Turn off
- A mechanism is available to turn the shortcut off;
- Remap
- A mechanism is available to remap the shortcut to use one or more non-printable keyboard characters (e.g. Ctrl, Alt, etc).
- Active only on focus
- The keyboard shortcut for a user interface component is only active when that component has focus.
The intent of this success criterion is to help prevent speech users accidentally triggering keyboard shortcuts. Character-key shortcuts work well for many keyboard users, but are inappropriate and frustrating for speech input users, whose means of input is strings of letters, and for keyboard users who are prone to accidentally hitting keys.
To fully include speech users and keyboard users who are prone to accidentally hitting keys, users must be able to turn off or reconfigure single key shortcuts.
Note: This success criterion does not affect components such as list boxes and drop-down menus that contain words that may be selected by one or more character keys, because the container is first accessed or opened with an initial, non-single character shortcut, e.g. ALT or ALT-F. This makes the full path to invoking a menu or drop-down item a two-step shortcut that includes a nonprinting key.
Note: Accesskeys are not affected because they include modifier keys.
Note: If there are no character key shortcuts, this success criterion is marked as not applicable.
Testing success criterion 2.4.11
Input into spreadsheet
- Fail
- Single character shortcut keys cannot be modified. Record the nature of the failure:
- There is no mechanism to turn off single-key shortcut keys.
- There is no mechanism to remap shortcut keys.
- There is no mechanism to adjust any customizable key shortcut on the webpage to an alternative control of a string of up to 25 Characters, including spaces.
- Pass
-
- There is a mechanism to turn off single-key shortcut keys.
- There is a mechanism to remap shortcut keys.
- There is a mechanism to adjust any customizable key shortcut on the webpage to an alternative control of a string of up to 25 Characters, including spaces.
- N/A
- The sample does not have single character shortcut keys.
How to test
-
For each character key shortcut provided, ensure one of the following is true:
- There is a mechanism to turn off single-key shortcut keys, OR
- There is a mechanism to remap shortcut keys, OR
- There is a mechanism to adjust any customizable key shortcut on the webpage to an alternative control of a string of up to 25 Characters, including spaces.